Assistant Professor of Psychology
On Faculty since 2011
Office: BGC M215
Phone: (630)752-5753
Fax: (630)752-7033
Email: sandra.rueger@wheaton.edu
Education
Ph.D., Clinical Psychology, Northern Illinois University, 2010
Predoctoral Internship, Children’s Memorial Hospital, Chicago, 2010
Postdoctoral Fellowship in Substance Abuse, The University of Chicago, 2011
M.A., Clinical Psychology, Wheaton College, 1989
B.A., Psychology, Northwestern University, 1985
Licensure:
Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (#166000356), State of Illinois, 1995
About Sandra Yu Rueger
Sandra Yu Rueger is a licensed marriage and family therapist with experience in a wide range of mental health settings, including psychiatric medical centers, community mental health centers, a church-based counseling center, and private practice. As a clinician, Dr. Rueger emphasizes the use of empirically-supported approaches, and specializes in cognitive-behavioral therapy for mood and anxiety disorders, couples therapy, and family therapy with children and adolescents. As a researcher, she aims to add to the scientific understanding of risk and resilience factors related to stress adaptation, and inform clinical practice in the prevention and treatment of depression and alcohol use disorders. When not working, Dr. Rueger enjoys spending time with family and friends.
Courses Taught
- 636 Family Systems Theory
- 738 Family Theory and Therapy
- 797 Practica Seminar group
Membership in Professional Societies
- American Psychological Association
- Society for Research on Child Development
- Association for Psychological Science
- Research Society on Alcoholism
Research
Dr. Rueger’s research interests focus on individual differences in responses to stress, and the risk and resilience factors related to adaptive coping and persistence in the face of negative events. She is particularly interested in vulnerabilities related to pessimistic thinking patterns, and the protective role of social relationships, especially during life transitions. She also has interests in the development and testing of assessment instruments used in research.
Dr. Rueger is currently working on a longitudinal study, called "Adolescents Moving On Study" (AMOS), which is focused on psychosocial risk and protective factors during the transition from adolescence into early adulthood. She also continues to collaborate at the University of Chicago in the Clinical Addictions Research Lab on alcohol-related risk and resilience factors, especially in underserved minority populations. The newest project under development is focused on better understanding psychosocial and familial risk and protective factors in youth from Korean and Chinese origins.
Dr. Rueger directs the Youth Risk and Resilience Lab.
Grants
Rueger, S. Y. (2010-2013). Alcohol Stimulation and Sedation in Binge Drinkers. Research Supplement to Promote Diversity in Health-related Research. National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA Grant #R01 AA013746-S). Funding: $101,408 total direct costs.
Rueger, S. Y. (2013-2014). Attributional style and parental support as risk and protective factors to depression: A longitudinal follow-up into young adulthood (Wheaton College Aldeen Faculty Development Grant). Funding: $2,520.
Rueger, S. Y. (2012). Unique effects of drinking and abstention motives on alcohol use in a college population (Wheaton College Psychology Department Faculty Research Grant). Funding: $7,500.
Rueger, S. Y. (2011-2013). Attributional style and parental support as risk and protective factors to depression: A longitudinal follow-up into late adolescence (Wheaton College Psychology Department Faculty Research Grant). Funding: $7,500.
Papers Published and/or Presented
Peer-Reviewed Publications
Morean, M. E., de Wit, H., King, A. C., Sofuoglu, M., Rueger, S. Y., & O’Malley, S. S. (2012, in press). The Drug Effects Questionnaire: Psychometric support across multiple substances. Psychopharmacology.
Rueger, S. Y. & King, A. K. (2012, in press). Validation of the Brief Biphasic Alcohol Effects Scale (B-BAES). Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research.
Rueger, S. Y., Trela, C. J., Palmeri, M., & King, A. K. (2012). A self-administered web-based Timeline Followback procedure for drinking and smoking behaviors in young adults. Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, 73, 829-833.
King, A.C., Roche, D.J., Rueger, S.Y. (2011). Subjective responses to alcohol: A paradigm shift may be brewing. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, 35, 1726-1728.
Rueger, S. Y., Malecki, C. K., & Demaray, M. K. (2011). Stability of peer victimization in early adolescence: Effects of timing and duration. Journal of School Psychology, 49, 443-464.
Rueger, S. Y., & Malecki, C. K. (2011). Effects of stress, attributional style, and perceived parental support on depressive symptoms in early adolescence: A prospective analysis. Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, 40, 347-359.
Rueger, S. Y., Lovejoy, M. C., Katz, R., & Risser, H. J. (2011). Relationship between parental affect and parenting behavior: A meta-analytic review. Parenting: Science and Practice, 11, 1-33.
Rueger, S. Y., Haines, B. A., & Malecki, C. M. (2010). Attributional style from middle childhood to early adolescence: Further validation of the paper and pencil versions of the Children’s Attributional Style Interview. Assessment, 17, 294-307.
Rueger, S. Y., Malecki, C. K., & Demaray, M. K. (2010). Relationship between multiple sources of perceived social support and psychological and academic adjustment in early adolescence: Comparisons across gender. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 39, 47-61.
Rueger, S. Y., McNamara, P., & King, A. C. (2009). Expanding the utility of the Biphasic Alcohol Effects Scale. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, 33, 1-9.
Demaray, M. K., Malecki, C. K., Rueger, S. Y., Brown, S. E., & Hodgson, K. K. (2009). The role of importance ratings of socially supportive behaviors in the relationship between social support and self-concept. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 38, 13-28
.Rueger, S. Y., Malecki, C. K., & Demaray, M. K. (2008). Gender differences in the relationship between perceived social support and student adjustment during early adolescence. School Psychology Quarterly, 23, 496-514.
Rueger, S. Y., & Malecki, C. K. (2007). Group administration of the Children’s Attributional Style Interview. Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, 36, 1-7.
Selected Presentations
*Choe, H. J., *Lindsay, M., Hall, S. & Rueger, S. (2013, August). Assessing motives to abstain and limit drinking in young adults. Poster to be presented at the American Psychological Association Annual Convention, Honolulu, HI.
*Daniel, Q., *Meadow, M., *Rabe, K., Hall, S. & Rueger, S. (2013, August). Drinking, abstaining and limiting motives in young adult drinkers. Poster to be presented at the American Psychological Association Annual Convention, Honolulu, HI.
Rueger, S. Y., Hu, H. X., Hao, .W., McNamara, P., Cao, D., & King, A. K. (2013, June). Differential alcohol subjective responses among European American, Han and Uyghur Chinese heavy drinking men. Poster to be presented at the annual meeting of Research Society on Alcoholism, Orlando, FL.
*Baur, A., *Aycock, C., *Choe, H. J., *Hyun, J., & Rueger, S. Y. (2012, October). Relation between Depression and Social Support from Teachers and Classmates: A Meta-Analytic Review. Poster presented at the annual Wheaton College Summer Research Conference, Wheaton, IL.
Rueger, S. Y., & King, A. K. (2012, June). Ethnic/racial differences in the relationship between alcohol use, depressive symptoms, and stressful life events in young adult social drinkers. Poster presented at the annual meeting of Research Society on Alcoholism, San Francisco, CA.
Palmeri, M. D., Rueger, S. Y., Trela, C. J., McNamara, P. J., & King, A. K. (2012, June). Utilizing web-based technology in the assessment of alcohol and cigarette use via the Timeline Follow Back. Poster presented at the annual meeting of Research Society on Alcoholism, San Francisco, CA.
*Meadows, M. S., Rabe, K. E., *O’Neill, A., & Rueger, S. Y. (2012, May). Is internalizing distress a mediator between victimization and academic adjustment? Poster presented at the annual conference of the Midwest Psychological Association, Chicago, IL.
*Jackson, A., *Wu, E., Richmond, A., Ph.D., & Rueger, S. Y. (2012, May). Ethnic differences in attributional style across three dimensions in early adolescents. Poster presented at the annual conference of the Association for Psychological Science, Chicago, IL.
*Kirby, A. E., *Choe, H. J., & Rueger, S. Y. (2012, May). Abbreviated assessment tool of learned helplessness and mastery orientation: Student Behavior Checklist-Brief (SBC-B). Poster presented at the annual conference of Association for Psychological Science, Chicago, IL.
Rueger, S. Y., Chen. P., Jenkins, L. N., *Choe, H. J. (2012, May). Stability and change in perceived support from adults in the development of depressive symptoms during the transition to middle school. Poster presented at the annual conference of the Association for Psychological Science, Chicago, IL.
Chen. P., Jenkins, L. N., *Choe, H. J. (2012, May). Poster presented at the annual conference of the Association for Psychological Science, Chicago, IL.
Rueger, S. Y., & King, A. C. (2011, June). Validation of the Brief Biphasic Alcohol Effects Scale (B-BAES) in high risk drinkers. Poster presented at the annual meeting of the Research Society on Alcoholism, Atlanta, GA. Enoch Gordis Research Recognition Winner – Post Doctoral category.
Rueger, S. Y., & Malecki, C. K. (2008, November). Effects of stress, attributional style, and perceived parental support on depressive symptoms in early adolescence: A prospective analysis. Poster presented at the annual conference of the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies, Orlando, FL.
*denotes student authors